Roast pork belly and bean curd stick claypot

Name: Roast pork belly and bean curd stick claypot
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: Roast pork belly 300 g; Dried beancurd stick 60 g dried; Tofu 300 g; Dried shiitake mushroom 6; Fresh ginger 4 slices; Garlic 4 cloves; Shallots 3; Spring onion / scallion 2; Red fermented bean curd 1 cube, 20 g; Oyster sauce 1 tbsp; Light soy sauce 1 tsp; Dark soy sauce 1 tsp; Sugar 1 tsp; Rice wine (cooking wine) 1 tbsp; Cooking oil 2 tbsp

枝竹火腩煲

ClaypotPorkWeeknightGood reheatedOne pot, one mealEasyhands-on 20 min · start to finish 50 min

“One pot does the whole dinner. The crust is yours.”

Ingredientsserves 4

街市Roast pork belly· from the BBQ shop, in 3 cm cubes300 g

百子櫃Dried beancurd stick· bean curd sticks, soaked half an hour in cold water, cut in 5 cm lengths60 g dried

街市Tofu· firm tofu, cubed and pan-fried; optional300 g

百子櫃Dried shiitake mushroom· soaked6

街市Fresh ginger4 slices

街市Garlic4 cloves

街市Shallots3

街市Spring onion / scallion· in lengths2

雜貨舖Red fermented bean curd· mashed; or a tablespoon of chu hou paste1 cube, 20 g

雜貨舖Oyster sauce1 tbsp

雜貨舖Light soy sauce1 tsp

雜貨舖Dark soy sauce· for colour1 tsp

雜貨舖Sugar1 tsp

雜貨舖Rice wine (cooking wine)· Shaoxing wine1 tbsp

雜貨舖Cooking oil· one to fry the tofu, one for the aromatics2 tbsp

Method

Soak the bean curd sticks half an hour in cold water until soft and cut them into lengths; there is no need to fry them first, restaurants deep-fry for the blistered skin but soaking is enough at home. Cube the tofu and fry it golden on both sides in a tablespoon of oil.
Fry the ginger, garlic and shallots in a tablespoon of oil, add the roast pork and mushrooms and fry until the fat runs and the skin edges colour.
Add the mashed fermented bean curd, fry a moment, and splash in the wine.
Add the oyster sauce, light soy, sugar and a cup and a half of water, then the sticks and tofu; boil, lid on, low heat fifteen minutes until the sticks are soft and the crackling has turned to jelly.
Lid off, reduce on high until the sauce coats everything, and add the dark soy if it looks pale. The roast pork is already cooked, but the whole pot must be reheated to a full boil. Scatter the spring onion, tip into a hot claypot and serve.

Take care

The roast pork is cooked meat and must be reheated until the whole pot boils through. Contains soy (fermented bean curd, bean curd sticks, tofu, soy sauce) and wheat; oyster sauce contains mollusc (oyster); chu hou paste, if used, contains sesame.

The story

火腩 is the BBQ shop's word for roast pork once it goes into a pot as an ingredient, and this claypot is the Cantonese thrift dish that turns the end of a roast into dinner, the bean curd sticks doing what they do in the lamb claypot, soaking up the fat and the sauce. It is restaurant claypot cooking and a home dish in equal measure.

Same technique

Claypot rice with cured meats

Claypot rice with beef and egg

Claypot rice with chicken and mushroom

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.